NEWS
N35,000 Wage Discussions Commence Between Govs, Labour
State governors are preparing to engage with labor unions in their respective states regarding the demand for an upward salary review.
Initiating discussions with labor leaders, some governors, including those from Niger, Katsina, Gombe, Osun, and others, aim to develop mutually agreeable plans and proposals concerning the wage increase endorsed by President Bola Tinubu.
Meanwhile Private sector entities have rejected the possibility of implementing additional allowances for employees in response to the Federal Government’s recent decision to raise civil servants’ wages by N35,000.
BIZTELLERS reports that under the agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, the Federal Government has approved a wage increase of N35,000 for all its workers starting from September, pending the enactment of a new national minimum wage.
This decision, formalized during a meeting on October 1 between the FG and labor leaders, outlines a six-month duration for the wage award to federal workers, with a recommendation for states to extend a similar benefit to their employees.
Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, emphasized that negotiations at the state level would commence following the consensus between the Federal Government and labor unions.
Alimi, urging patience, emphasized that the Osun State Government maintains a positive and cooperative working relationship with the labor movement within the state.
“The Federal Government just made the pronouncement. States will not immediately follow suit. All states will continue to engage their workers on the specifics of the wage award. Here, we have a good working relationship with labour,” Alimi said.
The NLC leadership in Osun State has urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to endorse the N35,000 minimum wage award for all categories of workers in the state.
This request was conveyed in a letter dated October 6, 2023, jointly signed by the acting state chairman of the NLC, Modupe Oyedele, the TUC chairman, ‘Bimbo Fasasi, and the Joint Negotiating Council chairman, Lasun Akindele.
The letter obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday partly read, “The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress has directed all state councils to immediately engage their respective state governments in effecting the agreed sum of thirty five thousand Naira (#35,000) only wage rewards to all categories of workers across board in the state service.
“The Labour movement in the state is not in any way in doubt of Your Excellency’s kind disposition towards the workers in the state. We are confident that worker’s welfare is important and very dear to your heart.
“It is therefore in this spirit that we urge Your Excellency to graciously approve the agreed sum of Thirty-Five Thousand Naira (#35,000) only wage rewards to all categories of workers across board in the state service commencing from the month of September, 2023 as contained in the signed memorandum of understanding that averted the proposed strike.”
Upon inquiry, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Alimi, affirmed that “the government will indeed extend invitations to labor leaders for discussions regarding the matter.”
The Niger State Government has stated that it will discuss the proposed wage increase before making a decision. According to the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Binta Mammam, “Niger State will deliberate on the issue. It was a statement made by the President, and as we all know, the governor of Niger State is not in the country.”
In Katsina State, the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress chapters are scheduled to meet with Governor Dikko Radda to address the demands of workers in the state.
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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